I currently dual boot, but really only use XP. The boot.ini file is on DRIVE C, which is basically my storage drive. I'm formatting it though, so when I format DRIVE C, I assume the boot.ini file is gone. Will I be able to boot back to Windows XP which is on DRIVE D or am I going to have a problem?

Thanks.

Also, is there an easier way to format DRIVE C rather than doing it through the XP install CD? I'll format DRIVE D through that since I will be reinstalling XP on DRIVE D, but can I do a full format of DRIVE C without booting to the XP install CD?

Windows needs not only boot.ini but a few NT loaders which kick windows loadup. So just backing up ot configuring your boot.ini is not going to do it. You can always with fdisk utility set which is active? but u still need the loaders (which are always hidden)

Good quality DVD burners are coming free in specially marked boxes of cereal. With that much data, I highly suggest you invest in one. Getting Windows back the way it should be is not going to work according to your ideas.

I currently dual boot, but really only use XP. The boot.ini file is on DRIVE C, which is basically my storage drive. I'm formatting it though, so when I format DRIVE C, I assume the boot.ini file is gone. Will I be able to boot back to Windows XP which is on DRIVE D or am I going to have a problem?

Thanks.

Also, is there an easier way to format DRIVE C rather than doing it through the XP install CD? I'll format DRIVE D through that since I will be reinstalling XP on DRIVE D, but can I do a full format of DRIVE C without booting to the XP install CD?

You are going to have a problem.

You want your system root folder on the same drive as your Boot.ini file. Typically, that file is placed on the "master" drive, or IDE0. For whatever reason (and I have no idea why you did it this way), sounds like you are running OS "whatever" on IDE0, and WindowsXP on IDE1 (D

When the PC starts up, it looks to the Boot.ini file for the primary OS. If it's not there, the computer doesn't know what OS to mount. It will give you an error, and you are basically screwed.

Is your D: drive a faster, larger, newer or better drive than C:? Why does XP have to be there? If any of the above is correct, I'd suggest you switch the drives around so the installation is a little more consistant. You should have your /Windows folder on IDE0.

You *could* edit your Boot.ini file to point it to : multi(0)disk(1)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Micro soft Windows XP Home Edition" /fastdetect /NoExecute=OptIn (*****I BELIEVE THIS IS THE RIGHT DRIVE SYNTAX. DO NOT ATTEMPT UNTIL YOU VERIFY THAT TO BE CORRECT!!!!!*****), and deleting the other entry. Windows should boot right up.

But here is what I suggest.

You back up D:. The method is up to you. You switch the drives around (You will have to physically switch jumpers and cables around to make your D the IDE0, and your C IDE1..those drive letters will change on your new install), making D: your IDE0 drive, and install WindowsXP to it. When the installation is compete and satisfactory, you can then do as you wish to your C: drive.

As a side note..

In XP, right click My Computer. Click "Manage". Go do Disk Management. There you can format your drives as you see fit.

I format C, shut down PC while it starts to copy files to it for installation. I do again and get it stopped before it copies the files. I then do a repair installation of XP on top of DRIVE D, I get some kind of an error when it tries to boot to it, that let's me do nothing. So, I physically remove DRIVE D, unplugged it. Then I reformatted DRIVE C and installed XP on DRIVE C. Yay!

Then I plug DRIVE D, which then became DRIVE F back in. I boot up to desktop, grab the files I need, transfer over to DRIVE C, then run format on F through Command Prompt after I converted it to NTFS. Then I copy most of files back over to it for storage, and that's where I stand. It worked out great, was just a big learning process that took all day.